The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Telenizer, by Don Thompson

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org

Title: The Telenizer

Author: Don Thompson

Illustrator: VIDMER

Release Date: May 28, 2010 [EBook #32574]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE TELENIZER ***

Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net

The Telenizer

By DON THOMPSON

Illustrated by VIDMER

[Transcriber Note: This etext was produced from Galaxy Science Fiction
March 1954. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the
U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]

[Sidenote: Langston had technicolor delusions; inanimate objects came
alive in his hands; THEY were persecuting him, out to get him ... what a
relief it was to know he wasn't going insane!]

When I saw the blood dripping from the tap in the bathtub, I knew that
someone had a telenosis beam on me, and I breathed a very audible sigh
of relief.

During the past few days, I had begun to wonder if I was really cracking
up.

When you start seeing visions of a bearded gent with a halo, or having
vague but wonderful dreams about some sort of perfect world, feeling
intense loyalties to undefined ideals, and experiencing sudden impulses,
sometimes cruel and sometimes kind--you know that something's wrong.

At least I do.

If he--whoever he was--had just kept up the slow, subtle pace he'd
maintained for the past two or three days, he would have had me in a
little while. For whatever he wanted.

But now, he'd overplayed his hand. I knew, at least, what was going on.
Who was doing it, or why, I still didn't know--nor whether I could stand
it, even knowing.

* * * * *

The thick, bright red blood dripping steadily from the water tap in the
bath tub wasn't so bad.

I stood before the mirror, with my softly humming razor in my hand, and
I watched the blood ooze from the tap, quiver as it grew heavy and
pregnant, then pull itself free and fall with a dull _plonk_ to the
enamel as another drop began to form.

That wasn't so bad. But my sigh of relief became a gurgle of almost
hysteri